1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of treatment for patients, human and animal, who have been exposed to damaging doses of ionizing radiation, the treatment resulting in less morbidity or mortality.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Exposure to massive doses of ionizing radiation, such as after a dirty-bomb or atomic-bomb explosion, or a nuclear-reactor or medical radiation accident, can lead to major morbidity and/or mortality. If the victim survives the direct effect of the bomb blast, he still may suffer from damage to the nervous, digestive, pulmonary, hematopoietic and other vital systems.
Various methods have been employed to treat radiation sickness, all with limited success. For example: (1) Neumune, an androstenediol, had been used by the US Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute under joint development with Hollis-Eden Pharmaceuticals; (2) A Chinese herbal medicine called Cordyceps sinensis had been used to try to protect the bone marrow and digestion systems of mice after whole body irradiation; (3) Bisphosphonate compounds have also been tried; (4) U.S. Pat. No. 6,916,795 disclosed an “energy-protective composition” comprising adenosine phosphates; (5) Garnett and Remo disclosed at the International Symposium on Application of Enzymes in Chemical and Biological Defense, Plenary Session Abstract, May 2001 that “DNA Reductase” had some “Opportunist Clinical Activity Against Radiation Sickness”; (6) U.S. Pat. No. 6,262,019 disclosed a composition called MAXGXL which contains glytathione. All of the above are soluble enzymes, steroids or small molecules.
Of particular interest is the discussion listed under: nextbigfuture.com/2009/07/radiation-sickness-cures-and-anti.html
It discussed (1) the effect of a small-molecule inhibitor to the p53-mediated apoptosis. A single shot of this drug, called CBLB502, at less than 1% of the maximum dose resulted in a 87% survival rate of mice exposed to an otherwise lethal dose of 13 Gray of radiation. By comparison, even at the maximum dose of the second-best chemical, called amifostine, only 54% of similarly irradiated mice survived. (2) The work done at the Boston University School of Medicine on new compounds called the “EUK-400 series” which may be taken orally. (3) DARPA funded work done at the Rice University called “Nanovector Trojan Horses, NTH.” These carbon nanotube-based drugs may scavenge free radicals and mitigate the effects of ionizing radiation. All of the above work with mechanisms very different from the present invention.